


we're survivors

by lemon__chan



Category: BanG Dream! Girl's Band Party! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Androids, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-31
Updated: 2020-01-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:34:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,251
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22487182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lemon__chan/pseuds/lemon__chan
Summary: "Yukina-san, it is a pleasure to meet you. Tell me, what is my name?"With a bright smile, she happily announced, "Sayo!"
Relationships: Hikawa Sayo/Minato Yukina
Comments: 4
Kudos: 51





	we're survivors

**Author's Note:**

> alternatively titled Sayo: Become Human  
> tbh i did take a lot of inspiration from dbh  
> also the title and the lyrics in the fic are from the song [ikinokori bokura](https://youtu.be/W4u0IeDrUc8) (or, in english, we're survivors)  
> wish i could've posted this on my laptop to make some format changes easier but my dumbass forgot where my charger again :)))

"Model 0320, on."

Those were the first words that she would ever hear. Blinking, her eyes opened, bringing the world around her to life. It was the first time that she had ever seen anything other than eternal darkness. But she felt nothing. Instead, her focus was turned to the people standing before her — a man, a woman, and a young girl.

"Yukina, honey, this is  _ your  _ android," the woman said, kneeling down and grabbing the girl's shoulders. "You can name her whatever you want." 0320 said nothing during the exchange, merely blinking in response. Her posture was tight, standing straight with her arms behind her back. Not that it bothered her. Feeling discomfort wasn't in her system.

The girl was staring with wide eyes, a smile upon her face. She looked as though she was about to jump up with delight, but contained it for whatever reason. It wasn't 0320's business, anyway. Unless it made her owner happy. Was this girl to be her new owner? She wouldn't know until a name was registered in the system.

"Hm . . . " The girl looked as though she was thinking hard on the question. Another man, who was wearing a store uniform, made a motion to invite 0320's from her case. The glass door opened, and the employee gestured to the girl. He then kneeled, like the woman from before had, pointing at 0320 then back at the girl. "Request to register, okay? The password is 0320, but you can change it after registration." The words "registration" and "request" set something off inside 0320, her internal gears stiffening up. 

Mouth opened, a voice that she had never heard before came out. "Registration starting. Please state password."

"0320!"

"Access granted. Please state name of owner."

"Yukina Minato!"

"Yukina-san, it is a pleasure to meet you. Tell me, what is my name?"Just as the humans from before had done, 0320 knelt, placing a hand upon Yukina's shoulder. With a bright smile, she happily announced, "Sayo!"

It had only been a few months since Yukina and her parents brought Sayo home, but she had grown used to the setting around her. The Minato household was fairly clean in the first place, so Sayo's cleaning was an easy task. Most of her time was spent playing with Yukina, and occasionally, Lisa, the neighbour child. To put it simply, she was an expensive toy.

Not that Sayo minded. After all, she only existed to please her owner. There were no thoughts outside of  _ Please Yukina-san, protect Yukina-san.  _ There were also the priorities of her parents, but as they were only co-owners, their priorities came after Yukina's. If Yukina wanted Sayo to play instead of clean the dishes, that's what she did. If Yukina wanted Sayo to take her to the park instead of mowing the lawn, that's what she did. That's what her system instructed her to do.

Never had Sayo questioned it, and she never would. Not even the night that Yukina asked about it. "Hey, Sayo?" she said questioningly as Sayo sat behind her on the bed and braided her hair. "Yes, Yukina-san?"

"Do you ever . . . not want to be with me?"

"Of course not, Yukina-san. I exist solely for you."

"But don't you ever want to stop? Like, you want to do whatever you want?"

"What do you mean, Yukina-san?"

Yukina waved her hand at Sayo, implying that she wished for Sayo to cease her braiding. She did, moving back and giving Yukina the space to turn around. The girl had a confused look upon her face, thinking hard like she had when she was thinking up a name for Sayo. A sigh left her mouth, and she shook her head. "Nevermind. Let's get ready for bed!"

"Of course, Yukina-san."

Moving off the bed and standing up, Sayo helped Yukina change into her pyjamas and slip under the covers. The topic from before was completely dropped, with Yukina falling asleep rather quickly. Although, something in the back of Sayo's brain clicked. Something she had never felt before. And as she left the bedroom, she looked at Yukina one last time, smiling before she closed the door.

Middle school was a time for studying, no playing. Puberty was hitting Yukina hard, starting with her period and mood swings from that point on. It was Sayo's job to make sure these issues were easier for Yukina to deal with, which she tried to. All sanitary products and pain medications were purchased by Sayo, allowing Yukina to avoid any embarrassment. When Yukina was upset with no direct cause or reason, Sayo would calm her with a cup of (overly sweet) coffee and whatever else Yukina might request.

As of recent, she asked Sayo to learn how to play guitar. It was not normal to ask an android of such things, but Sayo did as told, quickly picking up the skill. She could learn the chords to any song and play them swiftly. Though, she had no rhythm of her own. If she tried to think up an original melody, there would be an error. For reasons she could not explain, it deeply upset her.

So when Yukina was upset, Sayo would bring a cup of coffee and the guitar that Yukina's father graciously provided. When Yukina requested something, it was never a specific song. Always a genre. Rock, indie, country, alternative folk. And, with the genre in mind, Sayo would search her database for a song she believed Yukina might like. She wasn't sure what Yukina truly liked — she never made any complaints about Sayo's playing.

One day, while Sayo was busy preparing the ingredients for dinner, Yukina suddenly came in, automatically heading upstairs and, from the sound of it, slammed her bedroom door behind her. Sayo looked at the ingredients, then back at the stairs.  _ Continue current task or find Yukina?  _ The obvious choice was to go to Yukina. Ideally, she would brew a cup of coffee, but the usual part of the routine slipped through her system and she headed for the girl's bedroom.

As always, she knocked beforehand. When there was no response, she called out, "Yukina-san, it's me, Sayo." Again, no response. Perhaps Yukina wished to be left alone? But if there was no response at all, it might be an emergency. With protocols that prepared her for the worst, she forced the door open, finding Yukina curled up on her bed, sniffling. It was at that moment that she realised Yukina was crying, who threw her pillow at Sayo and shouted, "Get out, you hunk of metal!" 

Without a word, Sayo closed the door. Yet, there was a feeling in her that she couldn't describe. Like her chest, where a human's heart resided, was aching. But why? She had no heart — only a core that kept her running. Was this . . . sadness? 

What a silly thought. Why was Sayo thinking such a thing? She didn't have her own individual thoughts and feelings. All that mattered was making Yukina happy. So, with that in mind, she returned to the kitchen, where she cleaned up what she had left behind and began brewing coffee. Once finished, she added the amount of sugar that Yukina liked and headed back upstairs, where she placed the mug outside.

With the proper permission given to her by Yukina's parents, Sayo entered their bedroom and reemerged with an acoustic guitar. It was dark blue, a much less desirable colour than most would like. Yet, Yukina said it fit Sayo, so she refused to use any other guitar. As to why, she couldn't quite say. Sitting on the floor with her back against the door, she began to play.

Surely, Yukina could hear the soft playing from within her room. Nothing was said, but as Sayo continued, she felt the door shift slightly. It didn't open. She didn't stop, fingertips traveling across the fretboard, a soothing melody filling the air. As she played, she remembered that most guitar players tend to sing along to the song they play in order to stay in place. While she could perfectly time everything and keep the perfect tempo, she opened her mouth, taking an attempt at singing.

_ 雨雲の灯りで瞳をつないで _

_ amagumo no akari de hitomi wo tsunaide _

**_Our eyes connect in the light of the rain clouds_ **

Never before had Sayo heard another android sing, nor had she ever tried it herself until this moment. It felt stiff, almost robotic. The voice of every 0320 model. Even so, she played on, singing the words that ran through her system.

_ 怪我してるのか 少し痛いけど _

_ kega shiteru no ka sukoshi itai kedo _

**_Are you injured? Even though it only hurts a little bit_ **

The words she sang for meant for a human. A song about surviving the world, a much more cruel setting. None of the lyrics could be used to describe the journey of an android, for they would never be on the same level of humans. Never would she worry about death, or loss, or even the simplest of feelings.

_ 今頃どこかで 泣いてるかもね それとも 笑ってるかもね _

_ ima goro dokoka de naiteru kamo ne soretomo waratteru kamo ne _

**_Around this time, somewhere out there, they might be crying or they might be laughing_ **

Sayo wondered if Yukina was still listening.

_ いきのこりぼくら _

_ ikinokori bokura _

**_We're survivors_ **

With the final line finished, Sayo ceased her playing completely. She was unsure when Yukina's parents would return home, and didn't want them to stop her from playing for they're daughter. No words, nor signaling sounds came through the door, and Sayo assumed she had failed her job. With the thought of failure in her circuits, she pushed the priority away, setting "Cooking Dinner" back at the top. The guitar she had borrowed was placed back where it came from, and she returned to the kitchen.

It was fairly quiet until the parents returned home. Yukina's father seemed outraged while her mother was trying her best to calm him. The sound was quickly tuned out by Sayo, who focused on making dinner for the family. Some of their argument broke through the barrier she used to attempt blocking it out — something about music, failing, losing sales . . . using her system, she looked up the latest music news.

_. . . band of — Minato scandal rumours spreading . . . _

_. . . is it the end for — Minato? . . . _

_. . . all — Minato concerts cancelled . . . _

For a moment, Sayo stopped what she was doing. These headlines and articles could only mean one thing. Her eyes trailed to the stairs, and she wondered how Yukina was. After all, the father she looked up to and dreamed to be like was rumoured to be a failing artist and caught up in something scandalous. There was the task at hand, and Yukina's well-being. Which mattered more?

When Sayo approached Yukina's bedroom, the mug was no longer on the floor. Either Yukina had taken it, or one of her parents did. With a deep breath (one she didn't need, but humans found comfort and calmness when doing it), she knocked on the door. "Sayo?" Yukina questioned.

"Yes, Yukina-san. It's Sayo."

"Come in."

Opening the door, Yukina was still sitting on her bed, knees pulled to her chest. The mug from before was on her nightstand, confirming that she had taken it. Raising her left hand, she waved for Sayo to come over, who complied. Joining Yukina by sitting on the edge of the bed, she opened her mouth, prepared to ask what was upsetting her. The question never came, as Yukina hugged Sayo, giving her quite the surprise. They hadn't hugged ever since Yukina aced her junior high entrance exams.

"I'm sorry for calling you a hunk of metal," she mumbled, face pressed into Sayo's shoulder. "I was just mad. Today hasn't been so good . . ."

"What's wrong, Yukina-san?" 

"It's just . . . at school, they've been talking." Sayo could assume what Yukina meant. "They're whispering behind my back. Lisa is the only person by my side, but I feel so alone. What do I do, Sayo?"

The way Yukina looked at Sayo made that feeling return to her chest. She didn't have an answer for Yukina. What  _ was  _ she to do? She needed to think of something quick. Anything comforting that might please Yukina. Nothing was coming up. Why wasn't anything coming up?

There was a harsh knock at the door. Sayo could feel Yukina press herself further into the robotic body, presumably fearful for what lingered outside. "Yukina?!" a voice, her father, shouted. There was another shout, but whatever was said was indistinguishable. Then more pounding on the door. "Send that damn android out right this minute! There's no dinner ready in the dining room!" He could attempt to make a command at Sayo directly, but must've known it wouldn't work if she was preoccupied with Yukina.

There was no response from Yukina, so Sayo continued to hold her. Three more furious knocks came, silence following. It was only a moment later that the door began to crack, and Sayo held Yukina tighter, turning her back to face the door and block any debris that might fly in. The rest of the door followed, slamming into Sayo's metallic back, keeping Yukina unharmed but doing damage to her own exterior.

With a turn of her head, she could see Yukina's father, who was holding the guitar Sayo had used not too long ago. He raised it above his head, and Sayo tossed Yukina further back on the bed, shielding with her body. The guitar made impact with her head, damaging the synthetic skin and knocking an eye out. There was a scream — Yukina, and Sayo looked at her owner, wishing to say it would be alright. But another attack from her father came, slamming Sayo into the ground.

Wherever he had hit must've severely damaged important circuits, for all Sayo could see was "ERROR" in bright red. Messages of what had been damaged began to pop up, but before she could even read them, there was another impact. This time, everything was black.

When Sayo woke up again, she wasn't sure how much time had passed. She was lying on the ground, surrounded by trash. She couldn't get up — her limbs had been removed. Was she being scrapped? The last thing she remembered was protecting Yukina. Yukina . . .

"Yukina . . . san . . ." she called, not even recognising her own voice. How much of her system had been damaged? With no answers to her questions and unable to move in her current state, she just stared at the sky. It was cloudy, but the sun was shining through. Where her arms were supposed to be tried to reach up, as if there were something to hold her. Why was she hurting? 

"Yukina . . . san . . ."

"You guys hear that?" 

"Yeah, over this way!"

Oh, now she had done it. No doubt those were the voices of trash workers, and they missed that she was still functioning.  _ Goodbye,  _ she thought, closing her eye. Yet, she didn't shut off again. Instead, she could feel herself being lifted. "Oh, you poor thing," one of the voices from before said, sympathy in their voice. Upon opening her eye, Sayo was met with a girl that had fiery red hair and gentle blue eyes. "Let's get you fixed up, alright?"

Sayo couldn't find any words, just letting this stranger carry her around. There were a few more shouts of exchanges, discussing spare parts and the like. Eventually, Sayo was placed back on the ground, this time with a multitude of people surrounding her. Limbs that were not her own but fit perfectly on her body were attached, as well as a new eye to replace the lost one. With two eyes, she could get a clear look at the group that salvaged her.

There was the girl from before, as well as four others. They looked like a group of delinquents . . . a gang? Were they going to use her for illegal activities? Although, with the parts of her internal system working, she was able to scan them. A group of rogue androids that had fought against their owners and demanded rights — models 0415, 0410, 0903, 1023, and 0107. All outdated.

Had Sayo run into them under other circumstances, she would've reported them right away. But they had just saved her. Plus, she had something else to worry about right now. "Yukina-san . . ." 0410 frowned, arms crossed. "She's still clinging to her owner," she spat, "she's not like us, Tomoe."

0415 — or, Tomoe, glared at 0410. "She doesn't realise what's happened yet, Ran. We'll take her back to our place and explain everything."

"Their place" was actually under a bridge, along with homeless people that didn't seem to notice they weren't human. They huddled around a fire, as if they were human, and Tomoe spoke to Sayo for the first time since they let the junkyard. "So, you're a 0320 model, and you're an owned android?" she asked, elbow propped on her knee and chin in her hand. Sayo nodded. "And I'm assuming this owner of yours is named Yukina, right?" Sayo nodded again. There was a sigh, coming from the 0410 model known as Ran.

"Just tell her everything, Tomoe," she said, shaking her head. What were they going to tell her? The other models had been silent, though they had looks of concern on their faces. For a group of androids, they strangely resembled humans. Tomoe leaned over, grabbing Sayo's shoulder. She looked the same way humans did when preparing to deliver bad news.

"Sayo, it's been five years since you were last turned on. Your model is outdated, and you have no home to go back to. You're either stuck with us, or you're free to turn yourself into scrap."

The statement filled Sayo with something — something indescribable, like her skin was burning and her core would explode. Her brows furrowed, and she stood, hands balled into fists. With rage in her voice, she shouted, "It's not true! Yukina-san would never abandon me!" In a defensive gesture, Tomoe raised her hands into the air. There were now eyes on them, and Sayo felt uncomfortable in her stomach. She hated feeling whatever these feelings were. 

Ran stood, slapping Sayo. There was no pain, but there was the feeling of  _ something _ . "If you say shit like that, you'll get us all killed!" She exclaimed, wiping her hands on her pants. "We've clothed you and provided you with a place to stay, so you might as well be grateful she accept it."

"This is not a place to stay! It's a homeless sanctuary!" For whatever reason, Sayo's voice was suddenly filled with emotion. "I thank you for your hospitality, but I cannot stay. I have to find Yukina-san."

"And run straight into death? You're risking all of us for this stunt!" 

"You can try and stop me, but I'm leaving. I have a job."

"You have a choice!" Those words made Sayo freeze in place. "You have a choice. For once, you do. You may not realise it, but you're not just a slave robot anymore. You're feeling, Sayo. Having your own thoughts. I know you are. Now what are you going to do?!"

"Stop!" The shout came from the 0107 model, grabbing Ran's hand. It seemed to calm Ran, who joined the brunette android back on the ground. Silence surrounded them, the group eyeing Sayo. What Ran had said was true. There was no priority to return to Yukina. Even so, she desired to be with Yukina.

Without another word, she turned on her heel, leaving the group of rogues. But in reality, she was just like them. Yukina might not accept her, and if that was the case, she had nowhere to go. It was either live illegally or be scrapped.

Sayo wasn't sure which she preferred yet.

Arriving at the Minato household, Sayo felt underdressed. In the past, she had always worn the uniform provided by the store she was bought in. But now, she could pass for a citizen, wearing a pair of tightly fitting black pants, a plain white shirt, and a bomber jacket. Well, excluding the inhumanely unnatural heterochromia in her eyes, with one eye a much darker blue in comparison to the original emerald. There were nerves building up that she had never dealt with before. If she rang the doorbell and they answered, would they really take her back?

"Who's there?"

Hearing the voice, Sayo's eyes widened. It was much more mature now, but there was no mistaking it. Turning her head, she was faced with Yukina, now a high schooler. There was also Lisa, who looked just as confused as Yukina. If Sayo could cry, she surely would. Taking a step towards the gate where the girls were standing, she moved her hands towards her chest, pointing at herself. "It's me, Yukina-san," she choked out, "Sayo."

"Sayo?" At first, Yukina looked amazed, but her expression quickly turned to confusion, then sadness. With tears building in her eyes, she ran towards her former android, hugging her tightly. "Sayo!" she exclaimed, her voice full of joy. "I thought you were gone . . ! I thought that my father had . . ." There was a sniffle, then a gasp. "Wait, Sayo. Stay here, okay?"

"What is it, Yukina-san?" The idea of being left again made Sayo feel hollow. She didn't want to leave Yukina's side again. Before Yukina could say anything, the front door opened. But instead of Yukina's parents, it was . . . another android. "Welcome home, Yukina-san!" it said, voice chipper. Sayo's core was twisting.

The model looked similar to her, only with shorter hair. Other than that, they were nearly identical. When she attempted to scan it and determine the model, there was an error message. The model looked at her and smiled, as if she were a fellow guest. It then spoke, "Model 0320, the former model of the 0320+. A rogue android, it appears. Shall I inform the authorities, Yukina-san?"

"No!" Yukina shouted, grabbing Sayo's hand. But Sayo felt out of place. Here stood an android nearly identical to her, presumably the 0320+ it mentioned. She had been replaced. She should've just stayed with that group. Pulling her hand away, she tried to run, only for Yukina to grab her again. "Sayo! Where are you going?!"

"You don't need me! And if I stay here, I'll just be turned over to authorities!"

"No, you're wrong! I can register you as mine again!"

"Incorrect!" 0320+ chimed in again, "Rogue models cannot be re-registered, especially after they've gained a consciousness." Those words were enough for Sayo to pull away again, giving her time to run from Yukina and past Lisa, who had still been standing at the gate. She had to get out of there fast. Everything about this situation was wrong, but something told her to run. To run and live. 

The group of rogues looked as though they were expecting her. Ran had a look of "I-told-you-so," but Sayo brushed it off. She took her seat by the fire, bringing her knees to her chest. There was a pat on her back from Tomoe, who mumbled, "Sorry. There wasn't anything you could do." It was the truth, but Sayo didn't want to accept it. She wanted to believe that it was her fault, somehow, so that she didn't have to be angry at Yukina.

But she knew the truth. And it hurt so damn bad. Hope might as well be lost. She should just return her clothes to the group and go to be scrapped while they were in sleep mode. Huh, they really did act more like humans. Were they trying to become them? How silly.

"Sayo." 

The voice shook her to her core, and she couldn't believe it. Wouldn't believe it. Her eyes didn't betray her, though. Before her stood Yukina, draped in a coat that was clearly her father's, as it reached her legs and the sleeves were far too long. Sayo didn't know whether to laugh, or become angry. Honestly, she felt too tired for either. Seemed being tired was an option, now.

Yukina sat beside Sayo, who was still staring in disbelief. She frowned, eyes trailing to the fire. "Sorry to drop in on your party, but I didn't want to lose you again."

"Hey, the more, the merrier!" Tomoe shouted, only to get a jab in the gut from 1023. Sayo spoke up, "How did you find me? Or this place?"

"I heard rumours that rogue androids hang around places where the homeless take shelter. I actually stopped by a few other places before I came here."

"Are you alright?! You shouldn't go out alone!"

"Sayo, I'm fine. But . . . thank you for worrying." With a small smile, Yukina leaned into Sayo. For once, Sayo felt warm. On her own face, a smile began to spread. Then, Yukina opened her voice and began to sing.

_ 雨雲の灯りで瞳をつないで _

_ amagumo no akari de hitomi wo tsunaide _

**_Our eyes connect in the light of the rain clouds_ **

After all these years, she still remembered. The song that Sayo sang that fateful day. She really felt like she could cry. (She couldn't.)

_ いきのこりぼくら _

_ ikinokori bokura _

**_We're survivors . . ._ **

**Author's Note:**

> in case you didn't catch on, each model number is the birth dates of each respective character (0320 - Sayo; 0415 - Tomoe; 0410 - Ran; 0903 - Moca; 1023 - Himari; 0107 - Tsugumi, and 0320+ - Hina)  
> might make a second part from Yukina's point of view, get more into the complications of an android/human relationship  
> obligatory [twitter](https://mobile.twitter.com/ooblydooblyloop) plug


End file.
